Flashback: Turkey Fryers Under Fire

The firefighters of Station 1 demonstrated two potentially fatal scenarios involving a cooktop grease fire and a deep-fat turkey fryer exactly one year ago today.

But the lessons remain relevant, as family members fly into town with recipes for glazed gobblers on the brain.

Change the batteries in your smoke detector now, and be attentive while cooking during the holiday season, warns Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman.

"The holidays are one of the most dangerous times of the year to be inside," thanks to neglectful cooking and non-working smoke alarms, said Schapelhouman, who organizes these demonstrations every year.

Cooking equipment is the leading cause of fires in the home, accounting for 40 percent of home fires and civilian injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

On Thanksgiving Day, many home fires start from oil spillover of deep-fat turkey fryers. A popular way to cook turkeys in a fraction of the time, these fryers are dangerous and should be used with extreme caution, if at all, said Schapelhouman.

The fire protection association discourages the residential use of these fryers, which heat to high temperatures gallons of cooking oil that risk being spilled when bumped, tipped or when the turkey is put in or taken out.

A common hazardous error cooks make is to throw water on an overflowing grease fryer, which in turn could lead to a fireball of disaster (see photo sequence). The fire district recommends keeping a fire extinguisher on hand whenever cooking with grease.

The cooktop grease fire is another common occurence during the holiday season. Schapelhouman recommends putting a lid on the flaming pot and always keeping a fire extinguisher on hand. Throwing water on the stove will only exacerbate the flames.

Schapehouman warns against getting distracted while cooking. "When there's a touchdown on the TV, it distracts you during your cooking, and suddenly there the fire is," he said.

Out of all the deaths caused by fire in the home, 63 percent occur in homes without working smoke alarms, according to the NFPA. "We've seen fatalities in this area related to these issues," said Schapelhouman. "It happens all the time."

While the law requires that all houses have a smoke detector, not all do, said Larry Anderson, a principal engineer at Exponent Failure Analysis Associates of Menlo Park. "Without a smoke detector, you don't get the warning. You don't get out."

Anderson warned against removing batteries from a smoke detector when it is making a chirping noise. "It means you need a new battery," he said, recommending that homeowners change smoke detector batteries once a year, around daylight saving time.

With a functioning smoke detector, the fire department can respond to a fire within four to eight minutes of notification, which could save a burning home.

Just change your smoke detector batteries, said Schapelhouman. "It's one of the least expensive gifts you can give to your family."

Related Topics: Fire, Fire District, Fire Safety, Grease, Holiday Guide 2011, National Fire Protection Association, and Turkey What's the craziest thing that's happened to you while cooking on Thanksgiving Day?